Japan’s Kubota Group, which bought Norway’s Kverneland Group in 2012, has announced its completed an agreement to acquire US-based Great Plains Manufacturing.
The purchase expands the long-time partnership between Kubota and Land Pride, Great Plain’s groundscare division, and includes Great Plains’ four other divisions: Great Plains Ag, which manufactures seedbed preparation, nutrient application, and seed placement equipment; Great Plains International, which sells the company’s products worldwide; Great Plains Trucking, which operates a nationwide fleet of flatbed trucks; and Great Plains Acceptance Corporation, which finances the company’s products.
Great Plains Manufacturing is headquartered at Salina, Kansas, and has multiple sites in Kansas, and in Lincolnshire, England, thanks to the company’s purchase of Simba International in mid-2010.
The president and chief executive of Kverneland Group, Dai Watanabe, said he was convinced the acquisition of Great Plains would provide positive synergies on the implement side within the Kubota Group.
“It will significantly strengthen our joint position as a global provider of intelligent and efficient farming systems,” he added. “We see this as a great opportunity to further strengthen the product line-up and customer values through proactive cooperation between the two sister companies, for example in the field of R&D.
“We’ll make this opportunity a true benefit for our customers and our distribution partners.”
